French Guiana, 2010, (19. sept). [the snake encounter]

Saturday, 18th Sept
Today we slept long, until 7.30. before that I woke up several times, saw it is still dark and decided it is not morning yet. We went to the boulangerie, I had a small chocolate pastry. It was the first morning when my eyes were open enough not to need coffee and tea was enough. In addition to bread, we got an unexpected (it this even good to say in raiforest country!) downpour and were soaked. We walked around in Cayenne market, looked at fruit, dresses, earrings. Because H wanted to buy a hammock, we went to a hammock shop that was for locals. In there, a nice man told us that we will get a hammock cheaper and that K is a rich man to have three women. We also tok a picture with him in the shop and me and H bought colourful hammocks (one day I will have a place where to put it and remember this trip). We bought fishballs near the port, local Estonians' traditional food. We also walked there, saw a red ibis and crabs in the mud (it was low tide).A walk tot the hill and eating the fishballs!

After lunch, we went to the ocean for swim (I did not want to sand my peeling skin....unfortunately). Later whan H showed her bruises, I was happy I decided not to "sandpaper" my pain.

We went to a place where sloths live! It was a nature trail with good paths, hence we were wearing dress and sandals. Soon K showed us a sloth with baby! So cute! They were quite "fast" for current time, becuse they had babies [we were told they are slower when there are no babies]. They even went from branch to branch, "jumping" in slow motion. :) :) Soon we saw another sloth. We got to a wet part and H said she saw a bothrops in similar place. Walking after one another: Ku in front, H, me and Ka. I was immediately after H when suddenly I had a snake in front of me, waist high in the air (sith sinusoidal movement). It was black (dark? dark brown? dark grey?), 3-4cm diameter and about 1.5m long (as much as a panicked person can estimate. My reaction was to scream and run bacwards, past Ka. Ka had seen it too and wanted to shout "H", but I was quicker. I have emergency reaction! We waited a bit to make sure tha snake had left and continued our walk. Scary shock. H had not seen the snake, but had strangled "into it" as she described. She walked a few more steps and then we started screaming - only then had she realised what was the moving obstacle.

We drove back towards Matoury and in a petrol station a  young boy started washing our can and talking to K. She came to the car and we went to another petrol station where he washed with pressure water. It was 2EUR, but he saw that Ka had 10EUR and said to give this too. We took him home, a village in another direction where we had to go.

Home, food, strange fruit, jackfruit. It was very strange, texture like mushroom, outside like sunflower seeds and no teste (or some taste, H did not like it). Later, an hour later we read (we were in the office.....with Internet) that seeds have to be removed outside or the room needs airing.  And that the fruit is undigestable when not boiled. Vot siis (Estonian expression, untranslatable)

Evening, card writing. Yesterday I poster 6 cards, 7 waiting for stamps, today wrote 13 more.

Oh, when buying fishballs, the seller asked whether we are Russian (maybe because in Kourou space center there are Russians) and because we did not speak English or French to each other. In Salut island, the shopkeeper had asked whether we speak English and assumed we are English, but we explained that no, we are Estonians and just happen to speak English (and some of us, French).

[where this belongs....
In Salut Island, there were many agoutis who had eaten coconut.....they managed, whereas Ka broke a knife when trying to open one!)